A SOUTH Tyneside sports star is encouraging people with disabilities to step on board their local buses.
Paralympic and World swimming champion Josef Craig is getting behind a new campaign aimed at giving people living with disabilities more confidence when it comes to bus travel.
The 17-year-old, from Swinbourne Terrace, Jarrow, who has cerebral palsy, was on hand to help launch Go North East’s new Accessibility Guide at the recent independent living fair – Disability North. Josef shot to sporting fame in the 2012 Paralympic Games by becoming the youngest gold medallist at the event after swimming his way to the top of the podium in the S7 400m freestyle.
He said: “I think the guide is a great idea. It will help a lot of people access bus services by putting all the information they need to know in one place.
“I’m impressed with everything Go North East has done to make busses more accessible and feel privileged to help promote it.”
The handbook explains about access ramps, space for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, assistance dogs, the firm’s Easy access taxi guarantee, Bridge cards, concessionary travel and how to access service information.
<
p style=”text-align: justify;”>Go North East managing director Kevin Carr, said: “It’s an honour to have such a celebrated sporting star help us get the message out there that we are doing more than ever to ensure our buses are accessible for all.”
Go North East was the first bus operator in the region to introduce talking buses and has local radio DJs ‘voicing’ the announcements of current stops, bus routes, destinations and next stops.
Source: The Shields Gazette
